scholarly journals How Parents Support Children’s Informal Learning Experiences with Robots

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-51
Author(s):  
Emily Relkin ◽  
Madhu Govind ◽  
Jaclyn Tsiang ◽  
Marina Bers

Coding and robotic technologies are becoming more prominent in early childhood STEM education. Parents, who are key facilitators of children’s early educational experiences, are increasingly invited to engage with their children in collaborative robotics activities. Few studies have focused on the ways in which parents support young children’s informal learning experiences involving robots. This paper presents two different approaches to exploring how parents support young children’s engagement. Both studies involve KIBO, a screen-free robot programmed with tangible wooden blocks. The first approach brought together children ages 5-7 with their parents in small groups for 1-2-hour “KIBO Family Day” workshops. Findings from parent surveys (N = 51) indicated that these workshops significantly enhanced families’ interest in coding. Parents also reported engaging as coaches, whereas children engaged as playmates and planners. To further explore the role of parents as coaches, three parent-child dyads were invited to participate in a 20-minute videotaped KIBO play session. Findings indicated that parents predominantly used cognitive scaffolding strategies, such as asking questions, offering suggestions, and verbally acknowledging their child’s actions. Affective and technical scaffolding strategies were used less frequently. Study limitations and implications for practice and future research are discussed.

1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 978-989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn A. Nippold ◽  
Mishelle Rudzinski

The role of parents in relation to their children’s stuttering has been of great interest to speech-language pathologists for more than 50 years. As part of treatment, speech-language pathologists frequently advise parents to modify their speech behaviors when talking with their children. For example, parents are often told to speak more slowly and to refrain from interrupting or questioning the child excessively. Given the commonness of this advice, it is important to examine the research upon which it is based. This article contains a critical review of the literature concerning the role of parents’ speech behaviors (e.g., rate, interruptions, question-asking) in relation to their children’s stuttering. Published studies are reported and analyzed in order to determine the extent to which parents may affect their children’s stuttering through their own speech behaviors. The review indicates that there is little convincing evidence to support the view that parents of children who stutter differ from parents of children who do not stutter in the way they talk with their children. Similarly, there is little objective support for the argument that parents’ speech behaviors contribute to children’s stuttering or that modifying parents’ speech behaviors facilitates children’s fluency. Implications for treatment and for future research are discussed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie A. Frankel ◽  
Sheryl O. Hughes ◽  
Teresia M. O'Connor ◽  
Thomas G. Power ◽  
Jennifer O. Fisher ◽  
...  

The following article examines the role of parents in the development of children's self-regulation of energy intake. Various paths of parental influence are offered based on the literature on parental influences on children's emotion self-regulation. The parental paths include modeling, responses to children's behavior, assistance in helping children self-regulate, and motivating children through rewards and punishments. Additionally, sources of variation in parental influences on regulation are examined, including parenting style, child temperament, and child-parent attachment security. Parallels in the nature of parents' role in socializing children's regulation of emotions and energy intake are examined. Implications for future research are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamiso Alice Moyo ◽  
Nikki Schaay

Background: The role of fathers in infant and young child feeding has not been explored in Zimbabwe. To date, local research studies on the role of parents in infant and young child feeding have focused more on the mothers than the fathers, and more on breastfeeding than complementary feeding practices, which begin from 6 months of age. Purpose of study: To explore the knowledge and extent of involvement of fathers in the complementary feeding of children 6 to 23 months in Zimbabwe. Method: Through a qualitative approach, 10 fathers with children aged 6 to 23 months participated in the study. Local key informants were used to validate information given by fathers. Thematic analysis was used to identify emergent themes. Results: There has been a notable change in behaviour among the fathers in comparison to what they did 10 years ago. For example, they support their wives with household activities such as playing with the child, fetching water and firewood in bulk and cooking simple meals for their children, though the latter was generally reported as being done only during the mothers’ absence. Some of the fathers however, are still mindful of what the predominant culture defines as a father’s role in child feeding and thus only do selective activities. Major conclusion: This qualitative study, a first of its kind, delved into some of the experiences and perceptions of fathers in the complementary feeding of infants 6 to 23 months in Zimbabwe. Rich exploratory insights into the subject matter have been provided and can thus be expanded upon in future research.


2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 820-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun-Hung Cheng

With the increasing attention to the role of parents in children’s learning, what issues parents consider and how they behave when learning with their children when confronted with the emerging augmented reality (AR) technology may be worth exploring. This study was therefore conducted to qualitatively understand parents’ conceptions of AR learning and approaches to learning by AR with their children. A total of 90 pairs of parents and children were invited to participate in an AR book reading activity held in 2015; all of the parents were then interviewed to acquire the research data. Through the phenomenographic method, this study generated several categories of the parents’ conceptions of and approaches to AR learning. Further analysis identified the relationships between parents’ conceptions and approaches. For example, the parents holding cohesive conceptions (e.g., learning by AR as attaining in-depth understanding) tended to use deep approaches (e.g., offering guidance to connect life experiences with the book content for thorough reading). Based on the findings, a framework of interactive AR book systems for child–parent shared reading is proposed. This study was expected to initiate research in the area of learning by AR in informal learning environments.


Author(s):  
Susan Malone Back ◽  
Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer ◽  
Kellilynn M. Frias

The authors describe the application of transdisciplinary theory and practice to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at the undergraduate level. The modular approach which makes use of student collaboration within and across disciplines and input from outside experts holds promise for preparing students to address society's “wicked” problems – those with interconnected causes and for which a solution often causes additional problems. Transdisciplinary theory and practice are described and their application to STEM education is proposed along with a model of measuring transdisciplinary skills. Recommendations are proposed for future research on cross-cultural/cross disciplinary models, pedagogy, measuring student collaboration, determining effective partnership models and institutional supports, and the potential role of the social sciences in contributing to research on transdisciplinary practice and education.


Author(s):  
Gustavo Carlo ◽  
L. Diego Conejo Bolanos

This chapter provides an overview of theory and research on parenting and moral development in US Latino/a populations, including acculturation and enculturation, ethnic identity, and exposure and responses to discrimination and culture-related stress experiences. First, we briefly review traditional theories on the influence of parents in children’s prosocial development. Second, broad ecological and developmental theories that speak to the role of culture-related processes are covered. The third section presents a brief history of US Latino/as and highlights cultural values and characteristics relevant to understand the role of parents in US Latino/a children’s prosocial development. The fourth section presents an integrative cultural stress-based model of US Latino prosocial development and summarizes supporting research. Finally, the authors identify gaps in the existing literature and directions for future research.


1980 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Blank Greif ◽  
Jean Berko Gleason

ABSTRACTThis study examines children's acquisition of three politeness routines: hi, thanks, and goodbye. Twenty-two children, eleven boys and eleven girls, and their parents participated. At the end of a parent-child play session, an assistant entered the playroom with a gift to elicit routines from the children. Spontaneous production of the three routines was low, with thank you the most infrequent. Parents actively prompted their children to produce routines, however, and children usually complied. Further, parents themselves used the routines, with more mothers than fathers saying thank you and goodbye to the assistant. Results were discussed in relation to the role of parents in linguistic socialization and to the importance of routines in social interaction. (Routines; politeness formulas; linguistic socialization; parental teaching; mother-father differences; sex role socialization)


Author(s):  
ANTONELLA DONATO ◽  
HELGA CRISTINA HEDLER ◽  
FRANCISCO ANTONIO COELHO JUNIOR

ABSTRACT Purpose: Describe the informal learning strategies used by the IT and Communication professionals (TIC) of the Superior Military Court (STM), discussing their importance for professional development and labor skills related to the maximization of the results of human performance. Originality/gap/relevance/implications: The research proved the differences in the use of the learning strategies among the TIC professionals and made it possible to capture the meaning of informal learning by professionals. Key methodology aspects: The mixed methodology was applied and a questionnaire was created based on the studies of Camillis and Antonello (2010), Antonello (2011b), Pantoja and Borges-Andrade (2009), Lohman (2009), Berg and Chyung (2008) and Cunningham and Hillier (2013). Descriptive statistical analyses for quantitative data and thematic and categorical analyses were made for the content of the open answers. Summary of key results: Five categories of informal learning were identified: interpersonal relationships; work practices; sharing knowledge; unsystematic training and autonomous. Informal learning depends on: 1. interpersonal relationships, 2. plan for work practices, 3. sharing the knowledge, and 4. autodidactism. Some factors were considered facilitators and/or inhibitors and favorable and/or unfavorable to informal learning. Key considerations/conclusion: The professionals describe informal learning as something difficult to prove and that the same thing happens through practice and the exercise of their skills. For future research, it was suggested the following: 1. analyze the influence of environment variables when employing the use of informal strategies of learning; 2. relate the learning of TIC professionals to the initiatives of knowledge management in the Organization; and 3. observe the role of leadership in the process of informal learning among professionals.


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